A sharp increase in global gold prices has sparked an alarming surge in illegal mining activities across Brazil’s Amazon rainforest, leading to unprecedented levels of deforestation and hazardous mercury contamination in protected regions. Recent findings from the organisation Amazon Conservation, in collaboration with Instituto Socioambiental, highlight a grim picture of environmental degradation in areas previously safeguarded by conservation efforts.
Deforestation Rates on the Rise
The study reveals that illegal mining operations have caused significant clear-cutting across three designated conservation zones in the Xingu region, which spans the states of Pará and Mato Grosso. By employing a combination of satellite imagery and on-the-ground research, researchers documented extensive deforestation, including the Terra do Meio Ecological Station, where illegal mining was first reported in September 2024. By the end of 2025, this area alone had seen deforestation expand to approximately 30 hectares (74 acres).
At Altamira National Forest, the devastation was even more pronounced, with illegal mining resulting in the loss of around 832 hectares (2,056 acres) since 2016. A new mining front emerged in 2024, growing to 36 hectares (89 acres) by October 2025, which accounted for nearly half of all mining-related deforestation within that unit for the year. Furthermore, a clandestine airstrip used by illegal miners was detected at the Nascentes da Serra do Cachimbo Biological Reserve, where mining activities increased from 2 hectares (5 acres) to at least 26.8 hectares (66 acres) in just one year.
The Scale of Illegal Mining
Since 2018, the Amazon Mining Watch initiative, launched by Amazon Conservation, Earth Genome, and the Pulitzer Center, has tracked mining operations across the Amazon. The data reveals that around 496,000 hectares (1,225,640 acres) of rainforest have been cleared for mining activities, with approximately 223,000 hectares (551,045 acres) located in the Brazilian Amazon. Alarmingly, estimates suggest that around 80% of deforestation linked to mining in Brazil occurs illegally.
While mining constitutes a smaller percentage of overall deforestation—579,600 hectares (1,432 acres) were cleared in the Brazilian Amazon in 2025—its impact is particularly severe in protected areas and Indigenous territories. Matt Finer, director of Amazon Conservation’s Monitoring of the Andes Amazon programme, emphasises that the targeting of these sensitive areas exacerbates the already critical situation, which threatens to accelerate global warming.
Enforcement Challenges Persist
Despite efforts by Brazilian authorities to crack down on illegal gold mining—most notably in the Yanomami Indigenous territory in Roraima state, where a humanitarian crisis was triggered—the situation remains dire. Although the annual growth of newly mined areas has seen a sharp decline, illegal mining persists in other regions. Federal prosecutor André Luiz Porreca describes the ongoing enforcement as a “cat-and-mouse game,” where miners quickly return to previously cleared areas after authorities leave.
Porreca highlights the significant involvement of major criminal organisations in financing illegal mining operations, complicating enforcement efforts. In the Kayapo Indigenous land, for instance, around 7,940 hectares (19,620 acres) have fallen victim to illegal mining, marking it as the largest area affected in the Brazilian Amazon.
Mercury Contamination Raises Alarms
The rise in gold prices, largely driven by investor demand amid global uncertainties, has further incentivised illegal mining activities. Porreca points out that Brazil’s weak mineral export control system allows for laundering operations that disguise illicit gold as legal.
The consequences of illegal mining extend beyond deforestation, with operations releasing mercury into waterways, contaminating fish populations that local communities rely on. A recent report submitted to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights highlights that 21.3% of fish in public markets across the Amazon contain mercury levels that exceed World Health Organisation limits, with children aged 2 to 4 consuming mercury at levels up to 31 times the recommended maximum.
Government Response and Future Outlook
Brazilian law prohibits mining on Indigenous lands, and the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples has stated that addressing illegal mining is a priority for President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s administration. However, the complexity of dismantling the criminal networks sustaining these activities presents a formidable challenge. The Ministry of Environment has acknowledged the persistent issue of mercury contamination and is expanding scientific monitoring while bolstering enforcement efforts.
As the Brazilian Federal Police did not respond to inquiries regarding the situation, the urgency for a comprehensive strategy to protect the Amazon’s fragile ecosystems and Indigenous communities is increasingly apparent.
Why it Matters
The rampant illegal mining in the Amazon not only threatens the biodiversity of one of the planet’s most vital ecosystems but also endangers the health and livelihoods of Indigenous communities dependent on these resources. The ongoing deforestation and mercury contamination pose significant risks, not just for Brazil but for global climate stability. As the world grapples with the consequences of climate change, the fate of the Amazon remains a critical barometer for environmental health and human rights. Immediate and effective action is imperative to secure a sustainable future for both the forest and its inhabitants.
